Ozzie, either you know a trick or your timing was right! I've visited that page a thousand times.....well, seems like it but nearer a couple dozen....and all I've ever seen is 90% 'Out Of Stocks'. That's the VERY first time I've ever seen it that....'loaded'. BIG Thanx!!

Just ordered one....it sure looks different in that photo - hope it fits.

Hey and thanks to ALL for the multi-headsups on the airtight can. My 'idea' wasn't mine....in fact got the advice from one of the RC vendors' web page! Sure wish I could remember who, so's I could write & tell him he oughta reconsider. Still gonna use one - I mean my gawd, look how they're built! Just gotta figure a way to vent it, & already have something in mind. I might go up to a .50-cal box though....a bit more room to get the charger in there & can add some slotted foam padding.

I use the supplied 1300mah even now with no problems with CG. It CAN be achieved. As Prof100 knows, I like to run lite and I have never used any of those useless weights. I have even flown it with a 3S 800mah with no ballast needed. But, I had to make a little change. Any guesses?
AJ

Gee, didnt think of it and still have the rubber seal in there.
What about drilling small holes?

For small batteries small holes might be fine. For big batteries even a 3 inch hole isn't big enough. See this > http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=355739
Go to 'Thread Tools' and 'Show Attachment in this thread' to quickly get to the photos. It blew the box open in spite of the 3 inch hole.

This one is also interesting. Cheap lipo bags just make you feel safer. Better not to have them at all.

Sorry if this is considered OT but I think it is a good thing that this comes up once in a while as a reminder. Now that I have been reminded I am going back to putting all my batteries is as safe a place as I can unless I am using them at the time.

Yet another demo of a lipo fire that was started intentionally bu shorting out the wires. Others I have seen and the ones that I have done myself by poking with a pointed stick.
I still say that one would not 'store' a lipo that has been damaged in a crash.
Other lipo fires can be started by charging at higher 'C's than recommended.
If in dought of a suspect lipo that maybe has been 'bent' over heated, or puffed. It should be placed well away from where it could cause further damage to person or property for a safe time what ever that could be.

Images

One thing I was thinking of doing was to remove the foam from where the weight is located, in the V2 back towards the fuse. I have read that some people have had problems getting the correct COG using 1300mah batteries & this would allow you to move them farther forward. Question to all is do you think this would be OK or would it weaken the nose section too much???
Thanks,
Ron

Still would like to hear if anyone has done this or if doing it may weaken the nose of the SS too much... I know that AJ says he flys his SS with the 1300 mah battery with no problems. But I also know that he is experenced enough to fly the SS with it being tail heavy. However I know that I am not & others on this forum have indicated that they had to put weight back into the nose when using the 1300 battery. Any comments or help??? TIA,
Ron

Still would like to hear if anyone has done this or if doing it may weaken the nose of the SS too much... I know that AJ says he flys his SS with the 1300 mah battery with no problems. But I also know that he is experenced enough to fly the SS with it being tail heavy. However I know that I am not & others on this forum have indicated that they had to put weight back into the nose when using the 1300 battery. Any comments or help??? TIA,
Ron

Hmmm... I had to keep 4 of the washers in mine to barely make CG with a 2150 mAh battery. Now, this is with me adding a 3 mm CF tube in the antenna slot and a 2mm spar in the horizontal stab. Experience means nothing to maintain a controllable model with an excessive aft CG. It's only feasible with a gyro as AJ did. Not rocket science, just basic aerodynamics.

Hmmm... I had to keep 4 of the washers in mine to barely make CG with a 2150 mAh battery. Now, this is with me adding a 3 mm CF tube in the antenna slot and a 2mm spar in the horizontal stab. Experience means nothing to maintain a controllable model with an excessive aft CG. It's only feasible with a gyro as AJ did. Not rocket science, just basic aerodynamics.

Still would like to hear if anyone has done this or if doing it may weaken the nose of the SS too much... I know that AJ says he flys his SS with the 1300 mah battery with no problems. But I also know that he is experenced enough to fly the SS with it being tail heavy. However I know that I am not & others on this forum have indicated that they had to put weight back into the nose when using the 1300 battery. Any comments or help??? TIA,
Ron

If you use a CG of 72mm, you can use a 1300mah 3S1P lipo easily with no extra ballast. While the suggested CG is 60mm, I can assure you that 72mm is just as stable. If you added things like a cf 3mm tube down the antenna slot or added a CF tube on the stab, it might be impossible. I have two planes that I set at 72mm and use a 1300mah lipo and they fly perfectly. When I set the CG at 90mm, it becomes very aerobatic and really fun to fly (for me) - Yes. It does take a bit more experience to maintain stability at that CG setting. I don't consider that excessive since it is still very flyable. It is fair to say that an excessively nose heavy plane will not fly either.
AJ

I remember reading earlier in this thread not to use foam-safe CA on this bird. On all three of my earlier builds, I used regular CA joining the tail surfaces to the fuse. I have never had a problem with any of these planes.

I built a V2 to keep at the lake house this weekend and only had Great Planes foam safe CA so I thought "what the heck, let's use it." Got it up flying over the bluffs by the dam and was having a great time for about 6 minutes and decided to pull up with power a bit harder than I had been doing earlier. The vertical and horizontal surfaces came loose about 200' up in the air. Obviously, it immediately started a death spiral to the ground. I was very lucky, it went down in a brushy area and a pine tree and a manzanita bush broke it's fall. No damage but clearly the tail surfaces were well glued but just plain didn't stick...

Reminder to all, if you use CA on this foam, use regular CA. Going to clean off all the bad CA and use Goop on the joint.

AJ - might want to put this recommendation on the first page, discussion about foam safe vs regular CA starts on about post 600. I knew better, and it didn't end well... a nube should not use foam-safe CA on this plane.

[QUOTE=StarHopper44;19224755]Scotty - that thang is WILD! And I'll tell ya what -- if either was me in that photo of Nick's hand launch, that one would be going up on my wall, poster-sized!! Great shot there.

Got a 'failed camera' story for ya. Me & a couple van-loads of family went down to Canaveral to watch the planned final launch of the Shuttle Atlantis - & I borrowed a GOOD vidi-cam from a friend of mine....n

Thank providence I had my cell-phone cam at least. That's all we came away with besides some great memories! Here's a still from my family's forum home page:

I had an opportunity to be present way close to a night launch in July '99. I was a NSF VIP and was getting the royal treatment all week -- but nothing could have prepared me for the visceral experience when that baby roared off the pad. OMG. Just amazing. Now.. since that was a bit OT.. let me say that I wish I had a Night Surfer then. (well I tried to get back OT).